Slam poet makes big impact at USU show
“Is there a floor below us?” asked Anis Mojgani, featured guest of the Beat and Slam Poetry Night. “We’re gonna fall on top of them … with poetry.”
The event, which was Friday night in the TSC Ballroom, was a celebration of free form poetry; Mojgani performed two sets of his work, organizers read pieces backed by a jazz combo as an intermission and the night ended with an open-mic session for inspired attendees.
Mojgani, a nationally-renowned slam poet originally from New Orleans, headlined the event. The poet’s work ranged from soft soothing lullabies to near-screaming rants. He frequently addressed the crowd between pieces, often in a sudden transition blurring the ends and beginnings of his pieces.
“This is my first time in Utah,” Mojgani said. “So far I’m enjoying myself; I got Indian food in a gas station.”
Due to time constraints, Mojgani also offered his complimentary Aggie Ice Cream tokens to anyone in the audience who was desperate for some dessert.
The Beat and Slam Poetry Night, now in its third year, began as a branch off of Helicon West, an open-mic showcase of original literature held every second and fourth Thursday at the True Aggie Cafe on Main Street. Beat Night was formerly held in the Skyroom, but due to limited seating was moved this year to the ballroom to support the 200 plus attendees, said Star Coulbrook, director of the USU Writing Center.
“We broke the fire code last year,” Coulbrook said, “(but) we wanted to keep having it in the Skyroom. It’s intimate, but the ballroom is big enough.”
Even in the spacious ballroom, organizers were able to set the mood and artists performed to a full house. The poets, especially Mojgani, left the audience spellbound.
“He’s inspiring,” said Jacoba Mendelkow, one of the event planners. “He’s a rock star.”
Casey Cox, another attending student, said, “He’s mesmerizing, you can’t take your eyes off him.”
Beat and slam are a free-form style of poetry, Smith said. She said pieces are meant to be performed aloud. Often the poems will be read in conjunction with a background jazz rhythm, or read with a particular beat. Though often overlooked by greater academia, beat and slam poetry are influenced by culture, surroundings and rely heavily on emotional provocation.
“The language can be so raw but it really comes from the soul,” Coulbrook said.
Mendelkow said, “It’s art, it’s poetry, it’s life, literature, it’s everything.”
The event was advertised as uncensored, and the occasional expletive was present. One particular open-mic reader started by expressing his appreciation for not being censored, rattled off a chain of curse words and ended by asking the crowd for a cigarette. Krischa George and Joseph Arrington said they enjoyed the event but were a little surprised at some of the content.
“There’s a couple of parts I wasn’t expecting,” George said.
Arrington said he wasn’t a fan of every piece read.
“I thought the last poem was a little distasteful,” Arrington said about a reader who performed during the intermission between Mojgani sets.
Overall, the crowd got what they came for – more than 20 audience members signed up for the beat night’s open-mic session. Logan is certainly no stranger to the beat scene – in addition to the popular monthly Helicon West readings, USU currently houses the nation’s largest archive of beat poetry in Special Collections, Coulbrook said.
“Sometimes it knocks your socks off,” Mendelkow said of Helicon West. “The joy is watching people express themselves in a beautiful way.”
The event represented a broad collaboration of USU and community entities. Each guest received a unique mug made by the USU ceramic guild, coffee and hot chocolate was provided by Caffe Ibis and USU Catering, respectively, and student art work was on display and for sale. Other sponsors included the USU GLBTA Services, ASUSU Arts and Lectures, Writing Center, Jazz Ensembles, University Catering and Dining Services, University Inn and Conference Center, Student Involvement and Leadership Office and the True Aggie Cafe.
“That’s why we were able to afford a national artist,” said Maure Smith, GLBTA program coordinator who emceed and performed in the event. “We’re thrilled to have this much support across the university and the community.”
–b.c.wood@aggiemail.usu.edu